The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Starbucks today announced a public-private partnership to increase coffee yields and improve livelihoods for 25,000 farmers in support of Colombia’s rural development.

USAID, the United States Agency for International Development, and UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, two of the longest-serving development agencies addressing population concerns, announced today new efforts to strengthen their collaboration to advance reproductive health, including voluntary family planning, worldwide.

United States Agency for International Development Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict, & Humanitarian Assistance Nancy Lindborg is traveling to Amman, Jordan August 18-21 for meetings and site visits focused on U.S. efforts to assist those affected by Syria’s escalating humanitarian crisis.

On August 16, David McCloud was sworn in as Mission Director to South Sudan. Senior Development Advisor at the Foreign Service Institute Hilda Arellano administered the oath of office in the presence of family and colleagues. He will begin his post in Juba on September 3.

Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Eastern Congo Initiative released an online video series detailing a database of community-based organizations located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The database is a searchable online tool, first made available in 2012, that assists aid agencies and philanthropists in identifying and directly connecting with community-based organizations that provide vital resources to populations in Eastern Congo.

Cheryl Anderson was sworn in today as the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Mission Director for Southern Africa. In this capacity, she will oversee USAID’s regional activities in the Southern Africa region, country-specific activities in South Africa, as well as activities in countries in the region where there is no USAID mission.

Today, USAID announces three new research grants awarded to the University of Southern California, Vanderbilt University and Texas Christian University to study human trafficking and produce evidence that could help USAID and other international development organizations combat human trafficking more effectively.

James Stein was sworn in today as the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Mission Director for Macedonia. USAID Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia Paige Alexander administered the oath.

Today, Alex Deprez was sworn in as the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Mission Director for West Africa. In this capacity he will oversee USAID’s innovative regional activities to address trans-boundary issues, as well as activities in countries where there is no USAID mission. Since West African countries often face the same problems, regional activities are designed to complement and enhance country-specific programs in agriculture, governance, environment, health, and stability.

On August 6-8, 2013, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will host a Global Education Summit in Washington, D.C. This event will bring together more than 750 USAID education specialists and partners to focus on achievement of USAID’s Education Strategy and Millennium Development Goal 2: Universal Primary Education. The Summit will review "state of the field" approaches and "state of the art" best practices in improving education in the developing world.

Michelle Godette was sworn in today as the U.S. Agency for International Development Mission Director to Guinea and Sierra Leone. The mission is based in Conakry, Guinea, but supports programs in both Guinea and Sierra Leone in agriculture, democracy and human rights, environment, gender equality, and global health.

Today, United States Agency for International Development Administrator Rajiv Shah swore in John Groarke as Mission Director to Haiti. As Mission Director, Groarke will oversee USAID’s programs in infrastructure and energy, food and economic security, health and other basic services, and rule of law and governance.

Today, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah and Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Dr. G. Wayne Clough signed a memorandum of understanding at the Smithsonian Institution, expanding cooperation between the two agencies in areas such as conservation research, wildlife monitoring, data sharing, cultural preservation, and educational programming.

53 finalists, development experts, and potential funders to be featured at DevelopmentXChange

The Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development today announced 22 Round 3 award nominees from a pool of 53 finalists – innovators who descended on Washington for three days to showcase bold, new ideas to save the lives of mothers and newborns in developing countries with aspirations of international funding to realize their vision.

As U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Islamabad today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) released a report on development assistance to Pakistan. As part of USAID’s commitment to transparency for its second largest country program, the report measures development milestones reached relative to aid dollars spent.

The United States, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has pledged an additional $5 million to transport urgent, life-saving assistance to communities displaced by recent violence in South Sudan’s Jonglei State.

With its new update to the Foreign Assistance Dashboard (www.foreignassistance.gov), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is releasing financial data and information in more detail than ever before. For the first time, members of the public can download and search data showing which vendors received Agency funding and how much they spent in a given time period.

Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez will deliver opening remarks at a Doing Business in Africa (DBIA) forum hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on July 30. The forum will feature a pair of panel discussions highlighting the many business opportunities for U.S. companies interested in trade and investment in Africa. Sanchez’s remarks will highlight current investment and operations in Africa, as well as the support available to U.S. companies interested in exporting to the continent.

The United States, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), announced today a new $4.3 million partnership with Arizona State University's (ASU) Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College to share educational best practices with Indian teachers.